Overview
- The peer‑reviewed study in Science Advances found a 2.85‑fold higher melanoma risk among indoor tanners after adjusting for age, sex, sunburn history, and family history.
- Melanoma was diagnosed in 5.1% of tanning bed users versus 2.1% of non‑users in a cohort of roughly 6,000 patients.
- Single‑cell DNA sequencing of 182 melanocytes from 27 donors showed tanning bed users had nearly twice as many mutations and more pathogenic, melanoma‑linked changes.
- Users were more likely to develop melanoma on typically sun‑protected sites such as the lower back and buttocks, consistent with widespread mutation patterns across the skin.
- Study authors and dermatology groups urged stronger warnings and bans for minors, while an industry association questioned confounding in self‑reported data and WHO continues to classify sunbeds as Group 1 carcinogens.